Military Cut

We drove over to the air force base yesterday to get haircuts for Scott and Keaton. (On base, they charge about half the price of anywhere else on the island.) I should have known when I saw a big sign advertising "we specialize in the military cut" that Keaton may end up with a shorter haircut than I was ready for! Granted, he had quite the helmet of hair going on, so it was a little shocking at first. At least he'll be cool at the beach this summer, and I hopefully should not have to pay for a haircut for him for quite a while! He's still my handsome boy!

Girls Trip Highlights!

Well, girls trip is over for another year! I have to say this trip has made my "favorites" list, and I don't think it's just because it was the first one I got to host! Since I'm so new to Hawaii, I still feel like at tourist in many ways, so it was great to have a reason to spend the week exploring Oahu, trying out new restaurants, and just enjoying Hawaii! I think the further we are removed from college, the more we have grown to appreciate these trips and the short time we can spend together apart from the daily grind of family life. Scott really came through for me, and watched Keaton every waking second that he was not at work, so that I could pretend I was on vacation as well. Also, my friend Karen watched Keaton for me a couple of days while Scott was at work...thank you Karen!!

I'm going to try to condense a week's worth of fun into one blog entry, so here goes... For more pictures and details of our adventures, visit Mel's and Meg's respective blogs.

Wednesday - Meg and Mel arrive! They were greeted with a fresh flower lei, of course! I went ahead and greeted myself with one too... no chance I was going to be left out of this picture! ha ha














Day 1: Snorkeling at Hanauma Bay, Beaching at Lanikai, dinner at South Shore Grill - one of my new favorite restaurants!

Day 2: Dole Pineapple Plantation (pineapple ice cream - yummy!), Paradise Cove Luau!

Day 3: Swap Meet, drive to the North shore, shopping and shaved ice in Haliewa, dinner at the Shrimp Trucks





































Day 4: Church, pool time, dinner at Duke's Canoe Club, shopping in Waikiki

Day 5: Meg and Mel visited Pearl Harbor while Keaton and I stayed home and sulked (war memorials and two year olds do not mix!) After Pearl Harbor, the girls came home for some pool time and lunch, and then they did some hiking while Keaton napped and I continued sulking ;-)
That night, we grabbed some sushi and went to see Date Night!













Day 6: I drove the girls to the foot of a mountain at 5:15am (tell me I'm not the best friend EVER!) to do the Stairway to Heaven hike! Although, I'm incredibly sad I did not get to join in this fun (this hike is way to crazy steep for preggers), I'm so glad Mel and Meg were able to do this before they left. It is definitely worth visiting their blogs to read about their adventures dodging the security guard, and climbing over 3,000 metal stairs for the best view on the island. I can't wait to do this hike with Scott one day! Here's some shots they got from the top - wow!!

After they got home from the hike, we got to spend a couple of more hours at the beach before they had to come home and pack up to fly home! Whew! What a great week we had! It was really hard to see them go.

Now I guess it's back to just me and the boys kickin' it in paradise... ho, hum. ;-)

Look who finally made it...

After livin the fat and happy life with Brumbra and Papa for 6 weeks in Greenville while her 120 day rabies "quarantine" counted down, Clemmie finally booked her ticket to paradise on Saturday. She seems to like it so far because she can hang out in the open windows all the time and bird watch from our balcony. As far as we know, she has yet to run into a lizard or roach. That should be fun to watch. Aloha Clem!!

Paradise Cove Luau

We are in the midst of our 7th annual girls trip right now and having a blast!! On Friday night, we attended a luau at Paradise Cove. It was everything I had hoped a luau would be, complete with hula demonstrations, polynesian tattoos, mai tais (which Meg and Melis had to enjoy for me this year) and a pig roast. You like our rental car??

Rainbow State

Today, we discovered why Hawaii was named the "Rainbow State." This was the most beautiful rainbow I've ever seen!

Helping

Yay me... during Keaton's nap today, I finally got around to putting some flowers in the planters on our balcony that have been sitting empty for 4 weeks. Keaton was so excited when he woke up and saw them. I told him that he was going to have to help me give them some water. It was his idea to go out and share some of his "ootsy-lala" with the flowers. Envision this picture complete with slurping sounds provided by Keaton on behalf of the flowers...

Happy Mother's Day!

Becoming a mom was the best career move I've ever made...

POSITION: Mother, Mom, Mama, Mommy

JOB DESCRIPTION: Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an often chaotic environment.

Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call.

Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities. Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES: The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5.

Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf.

Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers.

Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects.

Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks.
Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next.
Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices.
Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.
Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product.

Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION: Virtually none. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE: None required unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION: Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent.

When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS: While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs for life if you play your cards right.

(taken from: http://www.superkids.com/aweb/pages/humor/031603.sht)

I feel so blessed to have the greatest job in the world!

Shaved Ice in Haleiwa

Our plan on Saturday was to drive up and meet some friends for snorkeling on the northshore. Unfortunately, it started raining halfway there, so rather than snorkel in the rain and freeze, we decided to drive around the quaint the town of Haleiwa. This northshore town is famous for their shaved ice, so we had to stop at one of the local shops and try some. Yum! What a fun treat!

I'm looking forward to taking my friends Meagan and Melissa back here when they come to visit next week for our 7th annual girls trip!

Pray for Nashville

It was less than 2 months ago that we moved from Nashville, and it still very much feels like home to me. We lived there for over 4 years, and it is truly an amazing community that I miss dearly! So many people there need prayer right now. Thankfully, our home (which has yet to sell) escaped with only minor roof damage and water leakage from the storms. But, there are so many people that have lost everything they own. This video has been going around and I think it captures not only the devastation experienced by the city, but a great story of people coming together to help each other in need. Please say a prayer for our friends in Nashville! Miss you guys!

Link to video: Nashville Tennessee Flood 2010

Swimming with turtles

This morning, Scott took us down to Hickam AFB to visit where he works. After spending a couple hours at a beach on base, we grabbed a quick lunch (and a quick car nap for Keaton), and met the Swisher family at Ko Olina resort to visit the famous Ko Olina lagoons. The lagoons were perfect for Keaton because there are hardly any waves. It's like a giant salt water swimming pool with sand! We even got to swim with a few sea turtles!! Thankfully Joe has an underwater camera, so we were able to snap a few shots of the turtles up close and personal. Keaton is my beach baby, and absolutely loves the water and the sand! He had such a blast swimming in the ocean and being loved on by the Swisher girls all day. It's great that we are finally feeling settled enough to enjoy the benefits of living in Hawaii! It was a little overcast today, so the water wasn't as blue as it normally is... I promise it was much prettier in person!

Party time!

We had a great party last night despite Keaton refusing to nap yesterday. We had to move the majority of the festivities indoors because of a rain threat. So, we squeezed 8 adults and 8 children in our tiny place and had a grand time! After pizza, we were able to venture out to the commons area of our townhome complex to let the kids run out some energy.

God has blessed us with so many great friends already. I think it's amazing that we even know enough people here (after only living here 1 month) to have a party for Keaton! God is good!

Keaton got a new bowling set for his birthday. Here's a picture of Scott and Tim trying to organize a game with all the kids on the tennis court. It s was quite a funny sight!

This is Joe and Jolie Swisher. Scott and Joe knew each other from church back in Miami. We have reconnected with he and his wife since we moved here. They have three girls - Catelyn, Emily, and Abby.

This is Karen Heath and Erin Wood. We stayed with Karen and her husband, Tim for 2 weeks when we first arrived on the island. Keaton and their son, Lucas (2 1/2) are best buds. They are some of our closest friends here now! We knew Erin and Jason from our Covenant days, and they have been a rock of support for us since we moved here even letting us drive one of their cars for 2 weeks while we looked for one to buy! They have 3 children - Ethan (7), Jude (4), and Ansley (18 mos.).

Keaton with "Auntie Karen" It is funny a tradition we've learned in Hawaii for kids to call all of mom's friends "Auntie" and dad's friends, "Uncle"

Jason and Erin

All the kiddos eating pizza on our "lanai!"